Caster base



c. STEVENS 1,848,501

March 8, '1932.

CASTER BASE 'Filed Dec. 12, 1928 lllll v.

.lllllllllllllll l ri l, s j, wx@ 5 A TNA@ J v2@ ek J .muah V V y m 4 15 instead of wood.

Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNlTED STATES PAT1515111vvk oil-F1os CHARLES WHITNY STEVENS,`OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS l 7 cns'rim BASE V appncauoa mea December 12, 1928. yserial No. 325,459.

i This invention relates to a caster base, that is, a small, compact, unitary device adapted to be placed under the individual legs or sup ports of musical instruments, chiefly pianos,

y radios, `and the like, or in analogous rela` tions, to prevent the' passage therethrough of sound-causing vibrations and consequent disturbance in adjacent rooms.

In thev accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a d 1o vertical cross-section through theV center of other desired material, secured thereto `by any suitable number of screws. Ay layer preferably of felt cloth 12 vis secured, as by 4gluf in to the bottom surface of theplate'll. Vithin the casing thereis'a'bot-tom discf `like layer 13 ypreferably of cork, or other elastic or resilient material of 'substantial thickness; a layer`14`offelt, preferably/cattle-hair felt, or other resilient material,

, which is cup-shaped'to'extendrup along the inside of the casing 10, and on top of this layer is a circular block preferably of wood 15 which fits circumferentially within the upturned flange or edge `portion of the layer 14.

" A ring 16, which may be of metal, is ses.; cured by screws to the upper edgey ofthel casing ring 10 and overhangs the louter edge of the wood block 15, whereby `all interior parts are confined and held within the casingeven when thev device is not in use and the felt l0 layer is not compressed.

"i5 the cross-section form thereof, such as round or square, for example. The depression prevents the leg or support when properly in position from physically contacting with the metal ring 16 and the transmission of vibra- I Li' tions directly from the leg to the casing and thence to theloor, and also `assists in holding the caster base in placeif the'instrument is slid along the floor f The weight imposed on the block 15, or the 'proportions of the `materials comprising the 55 l several layers, should be such'that when in use the edge of the block 15 Vis Vdepressed below and does not touch'thering 16, therebyto prevent passage ofv thevibrations direct to the CaSmg 1 y l VIn this construction the piano floats on the ,blocks 15 and the sound-causing vibrations i which traveldown the legs encounter first the block 15, next lthe layer 14, and thenv the layer 13. These vmaterials of different densi- 05 ties and having different capacitiesfor dissi'- pating, destroying` and ypreventing thejpassages'of the sound-producing vibrations, effe'ctually stop the same, the hair felt presumably having'the greatest effect in thisre.- 70 gard, and the disturbing noises from this are thus prevented. The form 4shown in Fig. 3 is similar. The casing 10a is metal, preferably sheet metal, 75 and ofy ornamental outline, with an integral upper ledge 16a. The bottom Vplate 11 is secured by rivetsor other desired manner to cause in the room below Aor adjacent thereto vthe outwardly extendingange of casing 10a and is covered by the feltcloth layer 12. Contained within the casing 10a is the disc 13, the cup 14 andthev block 15a, preferably of wood, fitting within said: cup, all of these being inserted in the casingfrom the bottom.

The depression in the upper side of the block 15a is preferably of such form as to receive and circumferentially t the caster 18 in ythe leg 17a of the piano or other instrument. w The operation of the device and its effects 9 in preventing the passage therethrough of *'soundscausing vibrations is the samey as that Vexplained with reference to FigsVv v1. and 2.

This caster base performs, of course, the

usual function fof suchdevices in providing a larger 'are'athanthe caster or leg itself of the instrument for bearing upon the carpet or rug. y l u Iclaim:V *Y u 1. A caster base comprising/a rigid casing, 1"@

and material Within said casing in the path of sound-causing vibrations tending to pass through said base, said material having the capacity of dissipating, absorbing or obstructing the passage of said vibrations, said casing having an inwardly projecting edge portion overhanging the said material and confining the same Within the casing.

2. A caster base comprising a rigid casing, and a. relatively thick layer of material Within said casing' on which the Weight is imposed in use Without contact with the casing, said material having the capacity of absorbing, dissipating or obstructing the passage of sound-causing vibration.

3. A caster base comprising a casing, a filling for said casing forreceving and carrying the weight imposed on the base, said filling comprising a substantial thickness of hair felt.

4. A caster base comprising a casing, layers of different sound-vibration absorbing, dissipating or obstructing materials therein on which the Weight carried by the base is imposed, said materials having different capacities for absorbing, dissipating or obstructing the passage of sound vibration, and means for preventing contact of said Weight With the casing.

5. A caster base comprising a casing, layers of differnt sound-vibration absorbingr or dissipating materials therein, said materials including a substantial thickness of hair felt,

and means for preventing contact of the weight carried by said materials with the casing. n

6. A caster base comprising a casing, layers of different sound-vibration absorbing or dissipating materials therein, a block in the casing carried by said materials and entirely surrounded on the sides by one of said layers.

7. A caster base comprising a casing, a filling therefor comprising a layer of material compressible under the Weight imposed on the base, and a covering layer of relatively incompressible material to receive the caster, leg or support of the vibration-producing instrument, said casing and said covering layer co-operating to keep the cover in place when the base is not in use and out of contact with each other when the load is imposed on the base.

8. A caster base comprising a casing, sound-vibration dissipating, absorbing or obstructing material in said casing, a cover plate in the casing out of Contact With the side walls thereof to receive the caster leg or support of the vibration-producing instrument, and an inwardly projecting flange or ledge on the casing overhanging the periphery of the cover plate and out of contact therewith When the load is imposed on said cover plate.

9. A caster base comprising a circular casing, a layer of resilient material in the bottom of the casing, a cup-shaped layer of hair felt on top of the resilient material, and a Wooden block or disc seated Within said felt cup, said Wooden block or disc being out of contact With the casing when the load is imposed on said block or disc.

l0. A caster base comprising a metal casing, a lining of cattle-hair ielt in said casing and a rigid block or plate seated in the casing and separated from contact with the sides and bot-tom of said casing by said lining, said block or plate being out of contact with the upper part of said casing when the load intended to be carried by said caster base is imposed on said block or plate.

11. A caster base comprising a sheet metal casing having an inwardly extending rim flange at its top edge, a filling of sound-vibration dampening material, a solidmember peripherally embedded in and floating on said material, said member and material being normally confined Within the casing by said flange, said member being out of contact with said flange when the load is im. posed thereon in the use of the device, said casing having a bottom opening to permit the insertion of said lining and member in the casing, and a bottom plate secured to said casing and closing said opening.

l2. A caster base comprising an annular casing having an ornamental outer surface configuration, a filling of sound-vibration dampening material, a floating supporting member Within the casing to receive the leg or supporting member of the viln'ation-causing instrument, said casing having an inwardly projecting ange at its upper edge extending over said supporting member and a bottom plate secured to said annular casing.

13. A caster base coniprising an annular casing member, a sound-Vibration dampening filling Within said member, a solid supporting member peripherally embedded in and floating on said filling, a cover plate for said casing member detachably secured to said member and having a central opening for the passa-ge Without Contact therewith of the leg or foot of the instrument supported by the caster base, and a bottom plate peripherally secured to said casing member.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

CHARLES VHITNEY STEVENS.

CRTIICAT CRRCTION.

Patent No. 1,848,501. Granted March 8, 1932, to

CHARLES WHITNEY STEVENS.

1t is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of thel above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page l, line 67, before the word "destroying" insert the word absorbing; page 2, line 31, claim 5, for the misspelled word "difiernt" read different; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of May, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICAT or conkcrIoN.

Patent No. 1,848,501. Granted March 8, 1932, to

CHARLES WHITNEY STEVENS.

it is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of thev above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 1, line 67, before the word "destroying" insert the word absorbing; page 2, line-31, claim 5, for the misspelled word "difernt" read different; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of May, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

